The 2026 ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup has been entertaining for all involved. Everyone, from long-time cricket fans to new ones, to broadcasters, and everyone in between.
The semi-final match between India and England was on another level. There was a spectacle with a high-scoring match, impressive & timely bowling, and a record or two broken for good measure.
One person who weighed in on the semi-final was ICC Chairman Jay Shah. The ICC also released its own statement on the viewership record.
ICC Chairman’s Statement on T20 Cricket Semi-Final Viewership
Shah took to social media to share some great news with the world. Namely, that the India vs England semi-final drew more than 65 million viewers.
“Second semi-final of the ICC #T20 World Cup 2026 has shattered the world record for digital viewership,” Shah revealed on X. “The match between BCCI and England Cricket registered a peak digital concurrency of 65.2 million viewers, which is the highest for any live event across the world. This demonstrates the unparalleled capacity of marquee global Cricket to aggregate Indian fans as well as the prowess of my team at the ICC and our partner JioStar in recruiting & engaging fans at scale.”
“Proud moment for all of us as we set new global benchmarks in the world of #sport, #media and #streaming.”
That’s a huge viewership for a single match. In 2025, Game 7 of the MLB World Series drew a worldwide crowd of 34 million with its televised broadcast.
Now, the record for all-time viewership for a single sports broadcast is held by the final match of the 2022 Qatar World Cup. Argentina went toe-to-toe with France for the soccer (football) match and came out victorious.
Additionally, it drew a viewership crowd of 1.5 billion.
ICC Statement on Streaming Record
The ICC released its own statement on the viewership record. This report reveals that the 65.2 million viewers that Shah revealed were strictly for the JioHotstar app.
“India’s streaming platform JioHotstar recorded a previously unseen peak of 65.2 million concurrent viewers during the match,” the report states. “A new world record for the highest concurrent viewership ever for a live event across any digital platform in the world. Across linear television and digital platforms, the semi-final delivered a combined reach exceeding 320 million viewers.”
“Watch-time across screens passed 23 billion minutes, making it the most-watched T20 International match ever.”
India vs England Semi-Final Was a Match to Behold
On March 5, 2026, India defeated England in the semi-final. India advances to the final, where they will play New Zealand.
The final score was 253/7 to 246/7, with both teams playing all 20 overs.
Sanju Samson was awarded Player of the Match for his efforts. The wicketkeeper put together an 89-run knock on 42 deliveries. He recorded eight 4s and seven 6s in the victory.
Surprisingly, he was not the highest-scoring batter of the match. England’s Jacob Bethell blasted 105 runs in a losing effort, which included eight 4s and seven 6s as well.
With this high-flying affair, only one bowler came out of it with a sub-9.00 economy. Jasprit Bumrah delivered a 1/33 figure to go along with an 8.25 economy in four overs.
It was a tense match for everyone involved, both on and off the field.
More Than 65 Million?
If a semi-final match between India and England lands 65.2 million viewers, imagine how many will tune in to see India vs New Zealand?
Luckily for cricket fans, the wait won’t be long.
On one hand, you have a T20 powerhouse in India. They are one of three countries to have won the World Cup twice, and on Sunday, they could become the first to be crowned thrice.
On the other hand, you have New Zealand. They pulled off a tremendous victory over South Africa to reach the final.
New Zealand has never won the World Cup. This will be their second appearance in the World Cup Final. The first time was in 2021, when they lost to Australia, 173/2 to 172/4.
Even if viewership records don’t break on Sunday, it’s still shaping up to be an entertaining match that cricket fans won’t forget very soon.
ICC’s Statement on IND vs ENG T20 Cricket World Cup Streaming Record